Past Festivals

Under the leadership of Festival Director Mary Lawson, the Southwest Virginia Community College Festival of the Arts launched in 1995 with the theme From Sea to Shining Sea: A Celebration of the American Arts.

A few features of the Festival of the Arts which have continued through the years are the Cultural Walk, master classes, and Spotlight on Talent.

The inaugural year featured the talent of Victoria Bond as Conductor, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as Narrator, and Pavlina Dokovska as Pianist. Pavlina Dokovska began the Festival as the Pianist-in-Residence and continues to perform and teach in recent festivals, as well as serve as the Festival Artistic Director each year.

2019 | Movies: The Music, the Dance, the Fashions, the Stories

2018 | From Across the Pond to Southwest Virginia: A Fusion of Cultures

2017 | The Diversity of Dance: Its Styles, Rhythms & Music

2016 | Shakespeare and the Age of Romanticism

2015: International Folk and Classical Arts: Inspiration and Reinvention

2014 | Winds of Change, Winds of War-1890-1920: An Era of Empire, Invention and Upheaval

2013 | NO LIMITS!

2012 | VIVA Italia!

2011 | Our French Connections

2010 | Along the Silk Road: From Italy to China and Back Again!

2009 | A Retrospective 1995-2009

2008 | Spotlight on Scandinavia and the White Nights

2007 | Spotlight on Colonial America: Virginia 1607-2007 Community Program

2006 | Spotlight on Eastern Europe

2005 | Spotlight on Africa and Her Legacy

2004 | Spotlight on Global Harmony

2003 | Spotlight on Spain and Latin America

2002 | Spotlight on France

2001 | Spotlight on Russia!

2000 | Spotlight on England

1999 | Spotlight on Austria!

1998 | Spotlight on Appalachia: A Fusion of Cultures!

1997 | Spotlight on Italy!

1996 | Spotlight on Germany!

1995 | From Sea to Shining Sea: A Celebration of the American Arts